8706 – Environment and Heritage – SPORTING LOCATIONS FOR TRAIL BIKE RIDERS
Roberts, Rod to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for the Arts, and Minister for Regional Youth representing the Minister for Environment and Heritage
(1) In New South Wales there is a significant number of people who enjoy the sport of trail bike riding:
(a) What National Parks in New South Wales are accessible to residents to lawfully pursue the sporting and recreational activity of trail bike riding?
(b) What National Parks in New South Wales traditionally accessed by trail bike riders have been blocked or prohibited since 2011?
(c) Will the area known as “The Gardens of Stone State Conservation area” which has long been an area used by trail bike riders, be prohibited for use by trail bike riders?
(d) What is the Government doing to ensure residents of this state who wish to pursue the sport and recreational activity of trail bike riding can do so in lawful and dedicated locations?
Answer –
(1)
(a) There are over 10,000 kilometres of public roads and trails in NSW national parks that are accessible to residents to pursue recreational trail bike riding provided they are registered, ridden by licensed riders and stay on roads that are open to the public, some of which are maintained to 4WD standard. This is in accordance with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Vehicle Access Policy and consistent with ‘No Licence, No Rego, No Ride’, a longstanding collaborative campaign involving all public land managers and the NSW Police.
(b) Access to certain national parks has been restricted in the immediate aftermath of fires, floods and extended periods of wet weather. I understand these are mostly temporary closures and access is re¬established consistent with the park’s plan of management where possible. Other temporary closures may occur on a regular or seasonal basis, for example in winter due to likely snowfall. Permanent closures of roads traditionally open to the public can only occur under a park’s plan of management.
(c) Once reserved, the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area will continue to be subject to the same ‘No Licence, No Rego, No Ride’ policy as other public lands. The park will provide a network of access roads for all registered vehicles including trail bikes. A draft plan of management will be publicly exhibited, which will provide an opportunity for recreational users of the park to have input.
(d) NPWS manages an extensive network of roads in its parks that are open for motorbike touring by licensed riders on registered trail bikes.
Question asked on 19 April 2022 (session 57-1) and published in Questions & Answers Paper No. 724
Answer received on 10 May 2022 and published in Questions & Answers Paper No. 738